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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27596444">mystery of love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinpanna/pseuds/rinpanna'>rinpanna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>6.9k of hinata/kagehina being dumb and whipped, Banter, Clothes Stealing, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hinata vs Public Transportation, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Misunderstandings, Reunions, Surprises, a smidge of, no fighting tho they are just mutual disasters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:22:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,917</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27596444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinpanna/pseuds/rinpanna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Much to his surprise, Shouyou's grand idea to surprise Tobio in Rome decidedly does <i>not</i> go according to plan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>247</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>mystery of love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rishouyou/gifts">Rishouyou</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HAPPY FREKAING BIRTHDAY <a href="https://twitter.com/risvtu">RISU</a>!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 BITCH!!!!!!! THANKS for brain rotting with me in dms over anything + everything (but esp kghn &lt;3) for the past few months. whenever atsumu threatens their rightful place, you always swoop in and kick the bitch out with your kghn screams</p><p>title is from sufjan steven's <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0MNNKSUU9OOQ8DSGWduw79">mystery of love</a>, which inspired the original, cute reunion idea for this fic. then i realized--fuck, no!! kagehina are disasters!! things would never run this smoothly!! and it spiralled into this giant mess. can always rely on kghn to be clowns &lt;3 (just like i can always rely on risu to clown me &lt;3)</p><p><b>a couple content warnings </b>that i didn't put in tags cuz they're very small aspects of the fic: they drink a little alcohol at the end, and also hinata makes a joke once abt kageyama being dead (he's just being incredibly dramatic--kageyama tobio remains Alive in this fan fiction)</p><p>thanks for clicking and enjoy! :}</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun is setting, bathing the world golden. The grass glows—permeated by the light—as distant houses crest the hillside in a smear of warm hues. The sky itself is alight as well, smatters of thin clouds awash in brilliant shades of yellow and orange. The sun’s rays touch everything within sight, their reach interrupted only by the intermittent trees lining the trail. Rich, blue shadows lie on the path in contrast to the rest of the world, complementing—no, <em>completing</em>—the picturesque view.  </p><p>Shouyou stands behind one of those trees, his body entirely hidden except for a tuft of fiery hair and a single, amber eye peeking out from behind the trunk. His foot taps against a root, giddy with anticipation.</p><p>As a distant figure materializes into view a ways down, his fidgeting ceases. Shouyou narrows his eyes, attempting to decipher its form. A quick clip, a navy jacket, a shock of black hair. It can only be who he’s been waiting for.</p><p>Shouyou shrinks into the bark, hiding as much of himself as he can while still keeping an eye on Tobio. About thirty paces away. </p><p>Twenty.</p><p>Ten.</p><p>Here he goes.</p><p>Shouyou jumps out from behind his cover, limbs splayed like a starfish as he blocks the width of the path. “Tobioooooo!”</p><p>Tobio nearly trips over himself as he skids to a stop, yelling out a curse in surprise.</p><p>“S-Shouyou? What the hell are you—”</p><p>But before he can finish his sentence, Shouyou skips forward and envelops him into a crushing hug. He breathes in, his head spinning with joy at the familiar mix of shampoo, deodorant, and just <em>Tobio </em>that’s so specific to him and only him. At first, hugging him feels a bit like hugging a tree—thick, stiff, and very confused tree—but his muscles quickly relax, arms wrapping around Shouyou to return the embrace.</p><p>They stand there for a few moments, grounded in each other’s presence. Then, Shouyou untucks his head from the crook of Tobio’s neck, peering up to look at his face. They’re standing in a gap of sunlight, and the rays paint his features golden. Shouyou is close enough that he can see the light reflecting off his long lashes—the highlight caressing the bridge of his nose. Tobio gazes back down at him, his mesmerized gaze a reflection of Shouyou’s own.</p><p>“Surprise!” Shouyou whispers in tandem with a quiet laugh, the moment so intimate that he doesn’t want to pop their bubble.</p><p>“That it is,” Tobio replies just as softly. </p><p>Shouyou looks into his eyes, their deep, deep blue so dark yet so warm—so familiar. His gaze quickly flits down to his lips—drawn in a wobbly smile over its usual pout—and back up. He blinks once, twice, and then they’re both leaning in. Shouyou tightens his grip around Tobio’s back as Tobio’s hand comes up to cup the back of his neck. His fingers comb through Shouyou’s locks, sending tingles down his spine, and Shouyou’s lips twist into a quick smile before he closes his eyes, rising on his tiptoes to close the hair of distance between them—</p><p>A mechanic squeak cuts off his train of thought, and Shouyou finds himself rudely flung back into reality—no, literally, he’s being flung down the aisle of this bus right now. Reflex takes over, and—much faster than he can process—Shouyou finds himself stepping forward into a <em>very</em> extended front lunge. His muscles feel stretched to their limit, but at least he didn’t face plant into the dirty ground of public transportation. (He’s learned over the years that honing his reflexes for volleyball often comes in handy where he least expects it.)</p><p>Sighing in relief, Shouyou lets the tension melt off of his shoulders, the duffel bag sitting around his neck slumping in tandem. But as he appreciates the thrill of escaping death, he notices that the bus has gone silent; blatant stares and blinks of shock are thrown at him from every direction. He offers the crowd an awkward smile and heaves himself up, re-securing his grasp on a nearby metal pole. </p><p>Ugh. He can’t believe he got so wrapped up in his head that he literally lost his grip on reality. </p><p>The doors to the bus hiss open, and he quickly whips out his phone to check the route. Two more stops to go. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Shouyou mentally pats himself for staying on course. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he stands up straighter and turns to look out the window (no more daydreaming, or he <em>will</em> miss his stop). The dark cobblestone street and pale brick houses pass by in a blur, with splotches of people scattered into the mix.</p><p>Rome is quite a beautiful place, and Shouyou really has spent a lot of his trek from the airport taking in its sights and smells. But as the towering stone buildings in the city have given way to the clear, open skys of the suburbs, he was reminded of his boyfriend and his Super Secret Plan and just got sucked right into his head. </p><p>It’s currently the middle of both of their seasons, but they realized when comparing schedules that there was no game set for either of them this late November week. Shouyou—the big-brained person he is—immediately decided that he was coming to Rome, declaring his genius idea so loudly into the speaker that Tobio told him to quiet down three times before eventually hanging up. (As Shouyou glared the<em> Call Ended </em>screen, Kageyama texted him “I need my ears to hear my teammates’ during games and practices, dumbass.”) </p><p>Shouyou promptly called him back and regaled him with his magnificent idea once more—only a smidgen quieter—and Tobio, after some mild convincing, approved. </p><p>(“But you’ll have to miss practice?”</p><p>“I mean, that definitely sucks, but relationships are about <em>compromise</em>, Tobio, and I wanna see you before the season ends in <em>May</em>... Unless you don’t love me anymore and don’t wanna see me ever—<em>ever</em>—again; fine, be that way—”</p><p>“Oh my god, dumbass, shut <em>up</em>, yes, you can come... And don’t say shit that’s not true.”)</p><p>Outside of the path of his career, Shouyou never thought of Tobio as a huge planner, and, other than prepping for Brazil, Shouyou moves through life pretty spontaneously, too. As they texted the next few days about logistics, Shouyou didn’t think much about a plan or an itinerary; the trip was more about seeing Tobio than anything, after all. But to his surprise, Tobio called him up one day with a long list of all their potential adventures—from places to go to places to eat. Shouyou teases him for his hypervigilance, but Tobio scoffed, claiming that it’s because they had to plan around his practices (both he and Shouyou agreed that if he didn’t have to miss work, he shouldn’t). So their week ahead has quite the docket: all tickets secured, restaurants reserved, and transactions made ahead of time. </p><p>And it’s gonna be an absolute blast, for sure! But when Tobio insisted that they split the plane ticket, Shouyou refused, saying that he can pay for all of their excursions instead. Meanwhile, the Super Secret Plan was brewing in the back of his mind.</p><p>Being five hours apart, Shouyou has a pretty good idea of Tobio’s schedule, ensuring he’s cognisant of when it is and isn’t appropriate to call. Thus, he knows that Tobio runs the same trail around his neighborhood every Thursday from 4 to 5pm; he’s been bluntly told “Running, talk later,” one too many times to forget this part of Tobio’s routine.</p><p>And that’s where the Super Secret Plan comes in. Shouyou booked the plane ticket a day earlier than they planned and is gonna surprise him with an early visit. Specifically, he’s gonna burst out somewhere along the end of Tobio’s running loop (their reunion as imagined in vivid detail just now). Not only does he get to be with him for an extra night, he saves Tobio a drive to the airport the next morning, too. </p><p>It’s a win-win all around. Their entire week is just looking so unexpectedly prim and proper that Shouyou just wanted to throw a little, inconsequential wrench into the perfection of it all. He is very, very excited.</p><p>When the bus finally pulls up to his stop, Shouyou’s stomach bubbles with anticipation. His veins are thrumming with energy as he hops off, a wobbly smile breaking out on his face just from the thought of seeing Tobio so soon. Even all these years later, he’s still sometimes surprised at how giddy being in love can feel.</p><p>Shouyou takes out his phone, routing the map to take him to the trail. Finding the exact route Tobio jogged was probably the hardest part of devising his Super Secret Plan—he knew where Tobio generally lived, and he’d seen the trail over Facetime a few times, but his Google Map searching fell short. When he gave up on finding it on his own, he innocently asked about its name over one of their impromptu phone calls, and Tobio brushed him off, saying “You’re not gonna remember it, so why do you care?” </p><p>After some more whining, Shouyou eventually wormed a name out of him—Via Appia Antica. (The pronunciation was incredibly butchered, but at least he had something to work with.) When Tobio said that he liked to run on the adjacent side street, though, Shouyou wanted to strangle him through the phone. Give him a clear destination, goddammit! But thanks to his knowledge of romance languages through Portuguese, combined with Google Translate and Google Maps street view, Shouyou is like, 99% sure he has the right place. 99%.</p><p>Shouyou checks the map one more time before turning towards the right direction. His veins are buzzing with so much energy that he’s practically skipping as he navigates through the side streets, turning where his phone commands, smiling at the strangers passing by. </p><p>Being in his mid-twenties, Shouyou doesn’t often hum aloud anymore in public, preferring to keep his jingles to the confines of his kitchen. But, as he steps onto the dirt path that leads to the head of Tobio’s trial, he can’t help but start to improv a little tune.</p><p>
  <em>“Tobio, Tobio, Tobio in Rome,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Gonna see my boyfriend, Tobio in Rome.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Flew here on a red eye, not a wink of sleep,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Too hyped ‘bout my secret, that I did well keep.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Surprise, surprise! I’ll leap out, say and shout,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then I’ll squish his squishy face and kiss him on the mouth!”</em>
</p><p>Shouyou tsks a bit at the last line—the slant rhyme not quite how he would’ve liked to end it. (After years of practice, he’s gotten very good at improv jingles; he holds himself to a high standard, okay?) But the path has ended, letting him out onto a fork in the road. Shouyou checks his map again; yep, Via Appia Antica to the left, Ingresso Autobus Catacombe di S. Callisto to the right—Tobio’s <em>actual</em> running path. Baby, he made it! He gives himself a mental pat on the back for his incredible navigation skills. Readjusting the duffel bag on his shoulder, Shouyou heads down towards his final destination.</p><p>About five minutes into the walk, Shouyou arrives at the exact location of where he wants to execute the Super Secret Plan: the part of the path that’s lined with trees every twenty steps or so, perfect for concealing his presence. Eying a hefty one that will hide both him and his luggage, he ducks behind its trunk. He presses his chest against the bark and peeks his head to the left, then the right, checking his vantage point. Satisfied by its position and visibility, he slings the strap of his bag up and off his shoulder, letting the duffel fall to the ground with a <em>thump</em>. </p><p>Shouyou clicks on his phone to check the time. Considering Tobio’s typical running pace, he estimates that he has about three to five minutes until Tobio hits this part of the trail. This timing! Truly impeccable.</p><p>To top it off, the current scenery isn’t too far off from what he was daydreaming up earlier either. The sun is painting the world golden—the trees, the grass, the distant houses. Shouyou would bet that it’s currently peak Golden Hour, which means things will be a bit duller when Tobio actually makes it to this point. Oh well. Win some, lose some, and Shouyou is definitely winning more than anything.</p><p>As the seconds tick by, Shouyou can feel himself getting restless, his fingernails unconsciously flaking off bits of bark as his right leg bounces rapidly against the ground. He shifts his weight, pinning the leg down by gravity, but his left just follows in suit. Sighing, he pries a hand from the trunk and checks his phone again. About two minutes left. </p><p>Shouyou tries to count the clouds in the sky, his breaths, down from ten—his brain assuredly failing all of the tasks as the blare of “<em>Tobio! Soon!” </em>takes over all of his higher order mental functions. He’sjustreallyexcitedokay! </p><p>As a particularly harsh breeze rushes through the evening, goosebumps break out on his arms and neck. All this pent up energy and it’s not even keeping him warm. Rude.</p><p>Shouyou checks to make sure the path is still empty before squatting down and unzipping his duffel bag. Digging through the piles of clothing, he eventually finds what he’s looking for: one of Tobio’s Ali Roma team sweatshirts (that Shouyou borrowed, of course) ((it’s not stealing if it’s from your significant other)). He pops it over his head and flails around in the sea of fabric until his hands find their respective armholes. Warmth: acquired. All that’s left? A hug from Tobio. Then Shouyou will have achieved Peak Comfort™.</p><p>Shouyou refocuses on the path and squints, trying to detect any movement from afar. Tobio should really be here by now. </p><p>Another two minutes crawl by, and Shouyou can feel his high start to dampen. The giddy, bubbly sensation from earlier starts bursting bubble by bubble—where is Tobio?</p><p>A minute passes, and the sun is starting to skim the treeline, the vast golden ocean slowly but surely being infiltrated by shadows. Shouyou’s face scrunches in confusion. Did he get the timing wrong? He mentally calculates and recalculates his versus Tobio’s schedule on Thursdays, and no—this is <em>definitely</em> when he goes on his runs. Shouyou inhales, closing his eyes. Nobody’s perfect. Maybe he had a late start. </p><p>After five more agonizing minutes of waiting, with no sign of Tobio along the horizon, Shouyou’s about to tear his hair out from impatience. Adrenaline shoots through his veins, sending his pulse higher; he’s gonna go into cardiac arrest and die before he can even <em>see </em>Tobio at this rate.</p><p>Was this a bad idea after all? Does Tobio not stick to his schedules as rigidly as he’s made Shouyou believe? Shouyou worked so hard to get his timing right that he didn’t even consider Tobio’s presence would be an element he had to account for—his appearance was supposed to be a constant, not an independent variable.</p><p>Shouyou glares at the sky, the gorgeous swirl of vibrant pinks and oranges and yellows ignorant to his suffering. He was supposed to see this sunset walking home shoulder to shoulder with Tobio! A strangled noise escapes the back of his throat. He tips his head back and considers screaming at the sky. In the end, he decides that catharsis is not worth the risk of getting arrested in a foriegn country. But let it be known that it was considered.</p><p>Okay, so things didn’t go as planned; he can accept that. But he still <em>does</em> need to find Tobio—needs an alternate course of action. Unlocking his phone, Shouyou jabs at the shortcut on his home screen that dials Tobio’s number.</p><p>The phone rings once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth ring, Shouyou starts worrying that Tobio’s freaking <em>dead</em>, when the other line finally clicks on. </p><p>“Where are you!” Shouyou bursts out, more an exclamation than a question.</p><p>“... Huh?” is Tobio’s eloquent response.</p><p>Another strangled noise escapes him. He tries again, in what he hopes is a more level tone, “Where are you? Right now?”</p><p>Tobio pauses for a beat—Shouyou can picture his eyebrows scrunching further in confusion—then replies, “At home?”</p><p>Shouyou nearly chucks his phone across the field. “Why! This is your run time!”</p><p>“Normally, yeah, but you’re coming over tomorrow!” Another pause, another brow scrunch. “Also, why do you know my schedule that closely! Creep.”</p><p>Shouyou huffs, indigent. “Cuz you always hang up on me when I call you around this time. It’s called extrapolation. I know that might be too big for your brain to understan—”</p><p>Tobio cuts him off, “Then why are you calling now?”</p><p>Shouyou’s eyes bug out in surprise—damn, maybe Tobio <em>does</em> think sometimes. “Uh. No reason!” Before Tobio can question his seemingly erratic behavior, he yells, “Stay put! Bye!” into the speaker, then hangs up. (His voice absolutely did <em>not</em> crack and skyrocket two octaves after being exposed like that. Nope.)</p><p>Pocketing his phone, Shouyou slings his duffel bag over his shoulder and starts running down the path. Tobio specifically runs this route because it’s near his house, and Shouyou is gonna get there before Tobio can go anywhere or do anything weird. There can still be a surprise!</p><p>A series of buzzes goes off against his thigh, but Shouyou ignores them, his mind focused on reaching the trailhead. Once his feet touch down on cobblestone road, he pulls out his phone to route to Tobio’s address. He swipes away the four missed call notifications and the various texts from “Tobio🏐🥛”—from what he ascertained, they were all variants on “what’s going on, dumbass!” anyways, and Tobio will know soon enough. </p><p>His house is close, only another three-or-so minute jog away. With all the energy that’s radiating out of Shouyou, adding a boost to each of his steps, he bets he can get there in two.</p><p>Shouyou sprints through the twilight streets, spooking a few passersby and throwing back a quick “Sorry!” in English everytime. The excitement over seeing Tobio soon versus the petty irritation he feels towards his plan being ruined clashes in his brain like banging pots and pans.</p><p>As he arrives at his doorstep and furiously knocks on the wood, there is a definitive winner.</p><p>While waiting, Shouyou rips off his duffel bag, then stares daggers into the doorknob, as though challenging it to just freakin’ turn already. A few more agonizing moments pass, and Shouyou feels like a shaken up soda can, Tobio the bottle cap—the second he steps out, Shouyou is gonna <em>burst</em>.</p><p>Something clicks from the other side of the wall, and the door swings open to reveal a ruffled Tobio, his hair sticking out every which way with a sheen of sweat coating his forehead. And with the top now popped off, Shouyou explodes:</p><p>“I can’t believe you skipped your run today! I had a whole grand plan! You were gonna be running down the path then I was gonna pop out and surprise you and you were gonna be all flustered and cute ‘nd then I was gonna give you the <em>biggest</em> hug and kiss underneath the golden sky; the doves in the trees were gonna <em>launch</em> into the sky at witnessing our love; the heavens were going to open and the gods were gonna <em>burst</em> into song in our honor—”</p><p>Tobio’s hands come up to grab his head, one at the crown, one under his chin. He squeezes them together and Shouyou’s rant is cut short, his teeth clacking together at the force of Tobio’s grip. His face scrunches in displeasure, and he starts to squirm, his head swiveling in all kinds of directions trying to escape his clutches, but Tobio shifts his grip, hands sliding to grip his cheeks beneath his palms. At the intimate but firm touch, Shouyou stills, eyes squinting in confusion, heart clambering in his chest. He moves to speak again, this time about how Tobio is so rude (who greets their boyfriend by forcibly silencing them!) when Tobio says first, “Dumbass. Calm. Down." </p><p>His tone isn’t mean or cold, but it’s solid, and it triggers Shouyou’s brain to finally hit the brakes. His mind slows down just enough to realize how absolutely surreal his presence must seem to Tobio right now. And that he just spent their first thirty seconds together in months rambling what probably sounded like nonsense at him. </p><p>Shouyou releases a long exhale, melting some of the tension from his shoulders. “Okay, okay, this must seem really weird to you. Let’s start over, and I won’t yell at you again until I provide some context.” </p><p>Tobio nods in acknowledgement, his grip slackening around Shouyou’s cheeks. Still not quite <em>tender</em>, but no longer crushing. Tobio’s shoulder slump as well, and they stand like that for a few moments—Tobio’s hands on his face, Tobio’s gaze on his eyes. Shouyou’s brain is like that one Spongebob GIF right now: a bunch of mini inner-brain Shouyous running around trying to get their shit together—trying to figure out how to tell the story from start to finish—as the office burns down in the background. </p><p>Tobio’s hands fall slack and slide down to his shoulders. His head tilts to the side—just a bit, like a confused puppy—and his eyes narrow, as though assessing the situation. Shouyou finally figures out a place to start and opens his mouth to speak, when Tobio’s grip on his shoulders tightens. Now Shouyou tips his head in confusion, eyes questioning. </p><p>There’s another long pause between them. Then Tobio finally straightens his posture, his hands firm on Shouyou’s shoulders, and says, “Hi.”</p><p>Shouyou stares into his gaze, searching. Is this a joke? Is Tobio making a joke? But his typical furrowed brow and blue eyes betray nothing but earnesty. Shouyou can feel his lips twisting into a smile, so he brings his hands up to cover his mouth. Tobio is literally so cute, Shouyou can’t handle this. Tobio’s brow scrunches a bit deeper, and that’s it, he’s gone; Shouyou erupts into a fit of laughter—the weirdness of today and finally being in the presence once again of his weird boyfriend all coming to a head, manifesting in this bizarre, giggly catharsis.</p><p>Tobio sputters, cheeks growing red. “What, dumbass, why are you <em>laughing</em> at me?”</p><p>“Y-you just? Said “hi”? Is that what you thought I meant when I said “starting over”?” Shouyou can’t keep questioning Tobio’s logic as he breaks down into another bout of laughter.</p><p>Tobio starts shaking his shoulders as he retorts, “You said “start over,” then just started at me for like, ten seconds! Most people start a conversation <em>normally</em> by saying “hello,” or at least some kind of greeting.” Tobio scoffs, his eyes rolling. “You’re the one always telling me to “grow some social skills.””  </p><p>Shouyou wipes the tears building on his lashes and chuckles. “Yeah, well, we’re not normal. We’re like—” he waves his hand in the air, searching for the correct words, “—a bit dysfunctional. So our “starting over” wouldn’t be like that.” Shouyou pauses a beat, then smirks. He speaks slowly, voice thick with false praise, “But, yes, in a normal context, starting a conversation with “hi” is very acceptable. Good job, Kageyama-kun! I currently don’t have any stickers to add to your social skills achievement chart right now but—”</p><p>Tobio cuffs the side of his head, scowling. Shouyou just chuckles—he deserved that. </p><p>Tobio’s eyes scan him down then up, as though making sure an alien hasn’t taken his place. Shouyou doesn’t blame him—even he can’t explain all of his erratic behavior. They’ve always said that love makes you stupid, but Shouyou doesn’t think they meant it like this: cycling through what feels like fifty emotions in the span of two minutes. He blames it on the adrenaline.</p><p>Tobio’s eyes stop on his chest, his gaze caught on the “Ali Roma” logo emblazoned on the sweatshirt. “I knew you stole that.”</p><p>Shouyou tsks in dissent. “It’s boyfriend privilege, it’s not stealing!”</p><p>Tobio rolls his eyes to the moon and back. “Says who?”</p><p>“Says me, the boyfriend!” Shouyou brings his arms up to point at his cheeks, face breaking into a smile. The poster child of innocent goodness.</p><p>Sighing, Tobio grabs Shouyou’s hands and brings them inward, causing his pointer fingers to dig into his face. “Your charm doesn’t work on me anymore, dumbass. I thought I lost that sweater and ended up asking Coach for a new one.” </p><p>Shouyou frowns at the dimples of pain in his cheeks. “Did’ja get it?”</p><p>“After a bit, yeah.”</p><p>Tobio releases his grip, dropping his hands to his sides, and Shouyou immediately reaches to lace their fingers together. He then tugs Tobio’s hands towards him, encouraging him to step closer. “So now I can stea—borrow another!”</p><p>Tobio obliges, scooting forward a half step, but his response is callous, “That’s absolutely <em>not</em> what it means.” </p><p>Shouyou pouts, tugging again. “You owe me after causing me so much distress today.”</p><p>Another half step forward. “I still don’t even know why you’re here!”</p><p>Shouyou frowns, bottom lip jutting out excessively. “I see, I see. Tobio doesn’t want me here. The world is so cruel.” He takes a step forward; now he has to crane his neck up to look Tobio in the eye.</p><p>Tobio sighs, and the warm breath tickles the crown of Shouyou’s head. “Oh my god, you dramatic dumbass, you know that’s not what I meant.”</p><p>Shouyou lets go of Tobio’s hands, sliding his own to rest on Tobio’s hips. “Prove it.”</p><p>Tobio can be pretty dense sometimes, but he’s gotten better at picking up what Shouyou puts down over time. His years of training shine through when he moves a hand to cup the back of Shouyou’s neck, then pulls him gently forward into a kiss. It’s chaste, but it makes Shouyou’s head spin with delight anyway. Tobio’s other hand comes up to rest on the side of his face, and Shouyou nearly shivers when his thumb lightly sweeps over his cheekbone.</p><p>Tobio pulls back first, and Shouyou’s eyes flutter open. The butterflies in his stomach swell up like a tide, but he pushes them back down in favor of pasting a fat, complacent smirk on his face.</p><p>“A much better start to our evening, in my humble opinion,” he says cheekily.</p><p>Kageyama’s mouth twists—whether he’s trying to resist smiling or frowning is unclear. “You were literally just teasing me the whole time till I kissed you.”</p><p>“Exactly!” Shouyou giggles, snaking his arms all the way around Tobio’s back and pulling him into a hug. Tobio grunts as their chests thump together. Tucking his head into the crook of his neck, Shouyou smiles. A few seconds later, Tobio’s arms wrap around him <em>tight</em>, squeezing the air out of his lungs.</p><p>After a few more seconds of basking in the warm (but oxygen deficient) embrace, Shouyou takes a step back and cocks an eyebrow.</p><p>“So much PDA on your doorstep. How scandalous. Maybe we should take this inside.”</p><p>At those words, Tobio’s expression hardens—snapping out of their weird banter/foreplay bubble. Shouyou doesn’t have time to lament the loss before Tobio glares down, a hint of unease in his gaze. “No.”</p><p>Shouyou frowns, tilting his head in confusion. “Why not?”</p><p>Tobio mirrors his expression and just stands there, scowling into the open air. Shouyou waits a few beats—fully aware that Tobio sometimes takes a while to translate his thoughts to words—but after an extensive silence, Shouyou butts his head into his shoulder.</p><p>“You weren’t, like, turning your house into a sex dungeon or anything? Oh, but if that’s the case, I can book a hotel for the night. I can wait,” he jibes. Teasing always helps Tobio loosen up.</p><p>Tobio shifts his gaze back on him, scowling deeper as his cheeks flush red. “Shut up, you horny dumbass.” Shouyou chuckles proudly at the nickname. “No, but I was in the middle of...” He trails off.</p><p>“Of...?” Shouyou prompts.</p><p>Tobio scoffs, clicking his tongue, “Cleaning.”</p><p>Shouyou stares dumbly at him, still confused. “Okay. What’s wrong with that?”</p><p>“I wasn’t done!” Tobio bursts out, hands falling back to his side. His fists are clenched, knuckles turning white. Shouyou steps back, crossing his arms, objectively very lost but starting to grow concerned as well.</p><p>“Okay, so let me come in and help you finish up! I’m the one that derailed your cleaning plans; I should be the one picking up the slack.” Sounds like a sane compromise.</p><p>Tobio shakes his head, mouth twisting. “No.”</p><p>Shouyou sighs, and he takes a step forward to lightly grip Tobio’s shoulder. “Tobio, I can’t read your mind. What’s going on? I don’t mind helping, you know.”</p><p>Grimacing, Tobio glances at his hand, then at his face before flicking his gaze to the floor. He mumbles something under his breath.</p><p>“Tobio,” Shouyou prompts softly, giving his shoulder a little squeeze.</p><p>Tobio huffs once in irritation before looking up to meet his gaze. “I wanted it to all be clean <em>before</em> you got here, dumbass.” </p><p>Shouyou blinks owlishly. He’s definitely still missing something—when have either of them cared much for cleanliness? “Well, I’m already here, so it’s too late for that, Silly-yama.”</p><p>Tobio tsks in frustration. “No, you’re missing the point, dumbass—”</p><p>“Because you won’t tell me clearly what the point is!”</p><p>Tobio throws his hands up. “You were supposed to show up tomorrow morning to a spotless, classic Italian house! Then we were gonna go on a trip into the city, everything laid out ahead of time so that it all ran smoothly.”</p><p>A spark flits through Shouyou’s mind, a gear turning in his head. “Okay, yes, the perfect, touristy day. But tonight we can just finish cleaning up your house and have a nice, slow evening. I’m sure you bought fancy, Italian wine to go with your fancy, Italian house. I’m hype!” The little jab slips out, but it’s out of worry more than playfulness—Tobio tends to actually speak his mind when provoked. Right now, he seems genuinely distraught, and Shouyou just wants to figure out what’s tangling up in his brain.</p><p>“You’re taking vacation time off to come to a foreign country,” Tobio says like it holds all the answers. Shouyou still doesn’t get it. His eyebrows raise up a little, encouraging Tobio to continue. He sighs and drags a hand through his hair.</p><p>“I’ve never hosted anyone before,” Tobio starts, and another gear clicks into motion. “And I’m still working while you’re here, which is good—yes—but that means that you’re gonna be stuck here for a lot of the day...”</p><p>Suddenly, all the gears snap into place in Shouyou’s mind, a lightbulb going off in tandem. Oh my goodness, sweet, sweet Tobio, <em>no</em>. “You wanted me to have the perfect, stress free, Roman holiday.”</p><p>Tobio blushes and he swallows, staring down at Shouyou defensively. “Yeah.”</p><p>Shouyou continues, “That’s also why you jam packed every minute of our time together with activities all around Italy. Cuz you didn’t want me to be any more “bored” than I would be after being “stuck in your house all day.””</p><p>Tobio nods, fists tightening at his sides.</p><p>He takes half a step forward, eyes boring into Tobio’s. “But you stressed yourself out in the process of not wanting me to be stressed—you even skipped your <em>run</em> for it—and then didn’t want me to know about it.”</p><p>Tobio eyes flicker to the side, and he huffs, indignant. “I’m not <em>that</em> stressed...”</p><p>“Then let me into your house!”</p><p>His mouth opens to reply, then snaps shut, teeth audibly clacking together.</p><p>Shouyou smirks. “Exactly.” His face falls, though, when he realizes what he’s done by coming early. “And now you’re even <em>more</em> stressed because I’m here now, and everything isn’t perfect yet.”</p><p>Tobio’s constipated face says it all—Shouyou was right on the money. Sighing, he steps forward, planting his other hand on his shoulder. He squeezes both of them, then rubs his thumbs in smooth circles. Tobio relaxes just a smidgen at the touch.</p><p>“Tobio, look at me,” he says in the most gentle but non-condescending voice he can muster. Tobio listens, mouth set in a taut line. “I came here to visit <em>you</em>. Not to see every nook and cranny of Italy or admire your freshly washed bed sheets. I know you worked hard to get everything to be your version of perfect, and I appreciate it a lot! But being here with you, right now, is enough. And when I step into your mildly dirty house, it’ll be enough. You don’t need to worry so much on my behalf.” Shouyou stops his ministrations, and Tobio’s eyebrows furrow. “And since we wanna be together as much as possible the next week, shouldn’t cleaning together count towards that time, too? And besides, it’s always more fun when you have a partner!” Shouyou smiles, genuine warmth flooding through his veins at the idea. All time with Tobio is a good time.</p><p>Tobio squints, as though blinded by the grin. “Yeah, I guess...” He brings his hands up to hang on Shouyo’s forearms. “I texted Miwa a while ago asking for advice about your whole trip... She said I was being “extra,” and that you’d have a good time no matter what. Maybe I should’ve listened to her...”</p><p>“Yeah, but you’re a control freak, so I’m not surprised you didn’t,” Shouyou chirps, still smiling. </p><p>“Shut up, dumbass.” Ah, a classic retort for when Tobio knows he’s lost.</p><p>Shouyou steps closer, resting his forearms on Tobio’s shoulders and lacing his fingers together behind his head. Tobio’s hand slide downwards, now gripping at his biceps. “So, you’ll let me in your house now? If you really don’t want me to, I won’t clean, but then <em>I’ll </em>get stressed about how you have to do all the work.” He pouts, for the flair of it.</p><p>“Ugh, fine,” Tobio says. “You can clean the toilet. It’s your favorite place, after all.” He’s still frowning, but a spark of mirth flashes in his eyes. Shouyou wrinkles his nose at the comment—he was <em>slandered</em> after all—but mostly he’s just happy to see that Tobio’s calmed down a bit.</p><p>“But first, you need to explain—a lot slower and a lot clearer—why the fuck you’re even here right now.”</p><p>Shouyou hums—honestly, he forgot that he was the start of this series of bizarre events. He jumps into explaining his Super Secret Plan—how he braved the Roman public transit system all on his own, how he scheduled it all perfectly to arrive just on time, how Tobio was supposed to stare at him in shock and awe until their lips finally met, bodies bathed in golden sunlight.</p><p>“You just planned the trip so thoroughly that I wanted to shake things up. Just a little, in a way that wouldn’t hurt either of us. And then you <em>ruined </em>it.” His shoulders slump for dramatic emphasis, dropping more weight onto Tobio’s. The irony that Tobio so desperately <em>wanted</em> a punctual, perfect plan isn’t lost on him either. (He’s surprised he didn’t pick up on Tobio’s anxiety earlier, but he’s a lot harder to read when they’re not face to face. The guilt gnaws at his stomach, twisting it into knots, but he’ll deal with it later.)</p><p>“Well you <em>ruined </em>my plans, too! So we’re even.” Tobio pauses, then tacks on, “Dumbass.”</p><p>“No, I just rescued you from spiraling into panic if anything goes mildly off course during the week by cramming some <em>sense</em> into your head,” Shouyou retorts. “I’m your <em>savior</em>. You owe me... lots of cuddles. And hugs. And kisses. And di—” Tobio slaps a hand over his mouth before he can finish his ongoing list of requirements.</p><p>“I can’t believe I dusted my lamps for someone like you.”</p><p>Shouyou’s heart squeezes with affection, but Tobio doesn’t need to know that. “Who dusts their lamps?!” </p><p>“I was following an article, okay!” Tobio’s expression sours at his admission. He removes his hand from Shouyou’s mouth and wipes it on his sweatshirt.</p><p>“Oh my god,” Shouyou says in a rush, his heart threatening to go into cardiac arrest for the second time that evening. “You are. So much.” <em>So cute</em>, he doesn’t add.</p><p>Tobio frowns, incredibly unamused. “Maybe I will let you sleep outside for the night. Have fun with the bugs.” He turns and grabs the doorknob, pushing the door open in a flash. Shouyou’s years of volleyball training come in handy for the second time that day: he smacks his palms against the door before Tobio can slam it shut. They stand there in gridlock for a few seconds, both of them pushing at full force. Then suddenly, the weight lifts, and Shouyou falls forward, tripping over his feet into the entryway. </p><p>Shouyou tumbles a few more precarious steps before he gains his footing. He glares over his shoulder at Tobio, who’s smirking beside the door, arms crossed over his chest. “Asshole!”</p><p>“Payback for spending your entire time here thus far either squawking at me or mocking me. Karma is a bitch.”</p><p>Shouyou stands up fully, walking back to the front of the house and snatching his duffel bag off the ground from outside. He turns on his heel and stomps into the living room, pausing only a second to kick off his shoes. “I’m dropping off my bag in your room, then opening that bottle of wine. You have fun scrubbing the bathtub with a toothbrush or whatever.”</p><p>The house is pretty small, so he heads down the hallway that he assumes will take him to Tobio’s room. He hears Tobio call out, “Strip the bed and bring the sheets back here,” and selectively chooses to not reply.</p><p>As he searches for the master bedroom, Shouyou pokes his head into all of the rooms lining the hallway. Other than the bathroom, where there actually are some cleaning supplies scattered around the floor, he doesn’t really notice anything out of place.</p><p>Upon entering Tobio’s room (end of the hall to the right), he sweeps a finger over the lamp on the bedside table. His finger comes out clean as a whistle. Shouyou smiles a bit, plopping his bag onto the floor—literally, who on <em>earth</em> dusts their lamps?</p><p>Before stripping the bed, he takes a peek into the closet. A few hoodies and sweatshirts hang on the far end in their own little corner. Shouyou flips through them with purpose, his eyes on the prize. </p><p>Somewhere in the middle, he finds what he was looking for. He pulls the sleeve out to get a better view of the whole thing: the exact same design as the current Ali Roma sweatshirt he’s wearing, but with the team colors inverted. After a few moments of basking in triumph, Shouyou drops the sleeve, and the sweatshirt molds back into the sea of fabric. He’ll be sure to snatch it up before he departs for Brazil and leave the one he’s currently wearing in its wake. (He might have boyfriend privilege, but that doesn’t mean he wants Tobio to freeze to death via sweatshirt deficit.)</p><p>Trotting back to the main area, the mound of bedding in his arms, he thinks about all the little glitches along the way that landed him here—the way their uber lack of communication stemmed from both of them wanting to give the other something to remember. And while they touched on Tobio’s anxiety, they definitely need to have a deeper chat about that soon. Lots to think about, lots to learn from each other. Good thing they have plenty of time.</p><p>He makes it back to the living room and catches sight of Tobio in the kitchen, two glasses of rich, red wine in his hands. Shouyou puts the sheets down behind the couch and jumps over the backrest to perch excitedly on the cushions. Tobio joins him, their hands brushing and lingering as he passes Shouyou his drink.</p><p>As their glasses clink together, he remembers what he proclaimed on Tobio’s doorstep earlier: they’re weird. Maybe a bit dysfunctional, in their own special way. He takes a drink, the sweet tartness flooding his taste buds.</p><p>But Shouyou still got his hug and kiss and slightly altered surprise, Tobio got some pressure off his shoulders, and they’re about to be together—in person!—for an entire week. </p><p>“It’s good!” He chirps, taking another sip. Tobio grunts—in agreement or as a response like the caveman he is, Shouyou doesn’t know. His pulse flutters with affection, and he places his glass down on the nearby coffee table. He shuffles up next to Tobio, who shoots him a quizzical look. Plucking the glass out of his hand, Shouyou sets it on the table, then plops down into his lap. His face breaks out into a grin—he’s here! With Tobio in Rome!—and Tobio smiles back, his lips just curling just a bit at the corners.</p><p>Pulling Tobio into a kiss, Shouyou thinks about how today was the opposite of perfect. But, when all is said and done, he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>edit</b>: ALL THAT RESEARCH ABOUT ITALY AND I FORGOT TO SHOW Y'ALL WHAT I BASED <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/H4zJbXEYuTRsRGJeA">kageyama's running route</a> off of o(-&lt; it's very pretty--just look at that tree lined path!!</p><p>--</p><p>all kudos and comments are kept right next to the nook in my heart where kagehina has taken up permanent residence &lt;3</p><p>holler @ me on <a href="https://twitter.com/rinpanna">twitter</a>. oh, and please give this fic a <a href="https://twitter.com/rinpanna/status/1328483943709028352?s=20">like/rewtweet</a> if you are so inclined, too ^_^ &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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